Find your home.

News

8/8/2011 - Joe Eckert sets sights on Weaverville after adding love and life to downtown Asheville by Dale Neal - Asheville Citizen Times

A GREAT ASHEVILLE SUCCESS STORY - local entrepreneurs have a long-standing habit of creating hundreds of jobs and fueling the economy of Western North Carolina!

ASHEVILLE -- Businesses aren't born every day out of the basement of the YMCA, next to the men's locker room. But Joe Eckert still remembers when the seed got planted that led to a series of successful enterprises that have helped revitalize this city's downtown and beyond.

Twenty years ago, Eckert and his wife, Joan, moved to Asheville from Philadelphia and bought a small snack shop in the Y. Among the lunch crowd frequenting the Eckerts' new eatery was the rather bashful, unassuming Julian Price, heir to an insurance fortune and a recent transplant to Asheville, who wanted to make a difference in his adopted hometown. Price came in two or three times a week for the Eckerts' flavorful vegetarian fare, ordering salads, tempeh melts and veggie burritos.

One day, Price came up to the counter and told the couple: "You know, you should open a full-service vegetarian restaurant, because people would love to eat this for dinner."

Eckert turned to his wife and laughed. "We just looked at each other. You've got to be kidding. From the basement of the Y?"

From that humble beginning was planted Laughing Seed, followed by the Jack of the Wood pub, Green Man Brewery, City Bakery and now Eckert's latest venture -- Jack of Hearts, a new restaurant and pub in Weaverville's up-and-coming downtown.

Looking back, Eckert says he had no master plan to become a serial entrepreneur who would create local landmarks and hundreds of jobs over the years. People he's hired for his restaurants have graduated to their own businesses, setting up eateries up and down the East Coast.

"I like to create great spaces and bring those to the community," Eckert said.

Planting a seed

Price had "an enlightened self-interest" in promoting new restaurants, Malaprop's bookstore and other businesses in downtown.

"Julian wanted to have a vegetarian restaurant in walking distance," said Pat Whalen, head of Public Interest Projects, Price's nonprofit. "He was impressed with Joe and Joan's cooking. They made great food in that little space."

Laughing Seed was the nonprofit's first business investment. "We knew it was risky, frankly, but Julian was trying to do things that banks didn't want to do."

With about a $500,000 investment from the new Public Interest Projects, Laughing Seed opened on Wall Street in June 1993. There were about eight or nine people lined up before the doors even opened, Eckert recalled.

Vegetarianism had plateaued in his native Philadelphia back in the 1970s with healthy -- if dull -- menus. "Our mission was to bring flavors from around the world and replace meat with flavor," Eckert said.

It meant hard work and 12-hour days in the kitchen, but people came, and the Laughing Seed grew in popularity as a dining destination. But bean sprouts weren't enough. Eckert soon had visions of beer and bread, and that led to newbusinesses.

Sitting in the storage space downstairs from his restaurant, Eckert began to dream of a community pub -- a great place for people to meet over a pint of quality beer.

He renovated the space below Laughing Seed and opened the city's first real brewpub, Jack of the Wood, on Patton Avenue.

And then Eckert reckoned: If you have a place to serve beer, you need a supply of good beer. Why not make your own? And Green Man Brewery was born in the back of the Jack of the Wood.

Along with good brews, Eckert needed quality bread for the Laughing Seed salads and entrees. He started baking loaves in his own kitchen, and invested in ovens and equipment in space downstairs. Customers and other businesses started clamoring for the freshly baked bread, leading to the rise of a separate new business, City Bakery, which moved over to Charlotte Street.

"It's the quality of the product that makes the difference," said Eckert, who has grown interested in the slow-food movement and attended a related international conference in Turin, Italy. "Why not brew your own beer or make your own bread?"

The Eckerts later sold off the Green Man operation as microbreweries began to pop up around downtown, eventually leading to Asheville's reputation as Beer City U.S.A. The couple also sold City Bakery just as artisanal bakeries began to prosper around the region.

At an age when many men are thinking about retirement and in an economy when many businessmen are hedging their bets, Eckert has just launched his latest venture, betting that a new pub could become a new landmark for the growing community north of Asheville.

Growing again

Weaverville has much of the same magic Eckert first remembers in the Asheville downtown of two decades ago. He's opened up his latest venture -- Jack of Hearts -- in the former fire station on North Main Street. The building dates to 1917 and has over the years served as a stable, a livery and an auto garage before serving briefly as the town's fire station.

Eckert remade the building into a pub like the ones he remembered from his native Philadelphia. Bob Collins, a friend and marketing consultant, calls Jack of Hearts a "gastro pub" with a "quality of food you could expect in New York" or Philly.

Collins likes the feel of Eckert's operations. "It's the place you go for face-to-face conversation. It's a place to get away from behind a computer keyboard."

Jack of Hearts anchors a thriving Main Street that boasts art galleries, shops, restaurants and a bakery. "I hope they have the same success with Jack of Hearts," Whalen said. "Weaverville is on its way to being a cool little town north of Asheville."

It's that feel for community that motivates Eckert in creating businesses. It's the vibe that attracted him first to Asheville, now to Weaverville.

"We're built along small, independent businesses. People living in Chicago and New York are dying to find these kind of places. You come to Asheville to get away from the big urban stream."

And Julian Price would be proud of that seed he planted 20 years ago, offering to back the Eckerts in their first large business, according to Whalen. "Joe and Joan were our first graduates. It the end, we got everything paid off, and they own it 100 percent, and they deserve it," Whalen said.

Public Interest Projects also capitalized on a downtown thriving with interesting local businesses, Whalen explained. "Restaurants like Laughing Seed and pubs like Jack of the Wood add to that vibe of independent businesses that is a lot of Asheville's attraction for people," he said. "It's all part of that local entrepreneurial spirit that's been so important to downtown."

Testimonials

"We have known Ben (Mansell) for a long time; he sold us the house we live in 10 years ago. He is patient, professional and knowledgable. He works so well with all types of folks and situations, and has amazing industry knowledge."

"Having Mr. Mansell as our agent is much more than having one agent. He brings with him a team of experts who are all working with us to make our dreams come true. He has earned the respect of contractors, tenants, attorneys and developers. He has an extensive scope of knowledge of Asheville and the surrounding areas. Man, can he sell!"

~ Karen & Matthew

"Lorraine was very efficient and professional and made many helpful suggestions. We enjoyed working with her and would highly recommend her. She made the process very pleasant." ~ Marilyn S.

"I came from out of State and Dana provided valuable insights into the different areas and communities. She really took her time with me. I never felt rushed or that I was inconveniencing her. I feel like I went through the buying process with a great realtor and came out of it with a great friend! I would highly recommend Dana for any real estate needs!" ~ Debra O.

"Sean was a dream. He made this easy and he worked really hard for us! Sean Mack was professional, friendly, attentive, hard working and kind throughout our whole process. He completely understood what we wanted and worked hard to show us the best houses he could find. He went beyond any expectation. Sean truly made this fun and kept our momentum going even in this tough market. We trusted him every step of the way. I would (and do!) recommend him to everyone looking for a home. In the end that is what he did, found our [...]

"Lorraine was extremely friendly and helpful throughout our buying process! She took the time to help us find the right location and was very detailed in ever aspect from initial contract to final closing. Highly recommend."

"Aviva's unbridled enthusiasm for selling my house was so far and away above what I expected from a realtor, I was truly in awe, and grateful. I fully could not have made it through the difficult sale of my house without her. Her methods were creative and effective, and instead of being a deer in the headlights, Aviva helped me to be a participating collaborator. Selling a house is difficult and Aviva did it, with aplomb." ~ Melissa C.

"Beth was amazing! She walked me through all of the seemingly endless processes of buying a home. She was patient and professional during all of this. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to purchase a home."

"Beth did a great job of representing my wife and I both in the sale of our current home and in the purchase of our new home. Beth went above and beyond in offering her assistance with any questions that we encountered and also for the buyers and their agent that purchased our home. Beth was willing to meet us to show properties on a schedule that worked well with ours. She was always willing to answer any phone calls or text messages when the need arose. I would highly recommend Beth to anyone looking to either buy or sell a [...]

"Lorraine has worked with me patiently for nearly 3 years; the time that it's taken for me to "pull the trigger" and decide to relocate. Every time I have been to Asheville she has "filled my plate" with appropriate properties to view. During my last visit I found the location where I would like to live. Our offer, though not accepted prompter her to go the "extra mile" to find my "dream home." Check her out, you'll like her enthusiasm to help you find your next abode."

"Chris helped me buy my first home which was very long and complicated. I had been renting a home for 5 years and loved the location. When I was offered to buy the home, I was rather undecided if I wanted to buy my rental l or if I wanted to upgrade to something newer. The home was older and needed a lot of TLC so I reached out to Chris from a referral and he came over and walked through the house with me. Because I wasn’t sure what to expect and was undecided on purchasing the rental, Chris was so helpful and so calming. He took the time to show me homes in the zip code I wanted, he [...]

"Robbie is FANTASTIC!"

"We could not imagine a better agent than Luiz - professional, friendly, proactive, and a pleasure to work with at every stage of the process. We're tempted to buy another house just so we can work with Luiz again!" ~ Van & Jen K.
"My wife and I found our forever home thanks to Luiz! He made a challenging process enjoyable and he made a confusing process clear & understandable. I wish we needed to buy another house just so we could work with Luiz!" ~Van [...]

"Several months ago, I decided I had procrastinated long enough ( about 8 yrs) and needed to sell our home of 30 years. It was an 80's house we had built and raised our two daughters - the only home they had known. I talked with a realtor and was was discouraged our home was not worth what I had hoped. My daughters wanted me to get a second opinion and my son-in- law asked if I would be willing to talk to someone he knew- "the nicest guy he'd ever met"
So I called Chris Tuten and we scheduled an appointment for him to look at the house. Two days later he arrived [...]

"We loved working with Kat, she is easy to talk to and straight forward. I would highly recommend using her, our family is so happy to have found her!"

"We came to Luiz via word of mouth, and were immediately impressed with his knowledge, professionalism, and ability to work with us as first-time home-buyers to make the process simple and understand able. Luiz was extremely responsive to any and all questions we had along the way, and anticipated many of our needs before we identified those needs ourselves. We never felt lost in the process and felt that we always knew what to expect. Luiz and Jessi are a great team and were amazing to work with. [...]

“Madison was extremely helpful and persistent in finding the right house for the right price and she succeeded. The house was a steal and if we ever decide to sell there is no doubt in my mind that we will come out on top”

~ Drew P

"Sue Riles went above and beyond to make finding and buying a new home a positive experience. She was so encouraging throughout the whole process and was wonderful about staying in touch and keeping me informed each step of the way. We absolutely love our new place!" ~ Stacie T.

"My husband and I are in the process of relocating to Asheville to be near relatives. Lorraine could not have been the more perfect agent to help us with this relocation. She is FULL of energy, knows the region and is one of the friendliest and most flexible agents that you could meet! We started looking at homes, but switched to properties, which had Lorraine adjusting quickly! She didn't skip a beat, and we found a lovely property near town. I will never forget watching Lorraine hiking the property, describing its potential! Lorraine was savvy in negotiations, with her strong [...]

“Madison helped me tweak my opinion of Real Estate Agents because she listened to what I said I needed and found properties that fit my list and budget! Even when I withdrew an offer on a property, Madison said she wanted me to make sure I loved the home I purchased and she would keep working with me to find what I needed. Fast forward a few months: I am living in a home that really supports my family in a beautiful lake community that I didn’t even know existed until she took us for a showing. I was highly impressed by her integrity, knowledge of Asheville and the surrounding [...]

~ Ann P

"Luiz is incredible and I have passed his information onto other friends. Thanks so much for all of the help." ~ Ty C.

"Susan Young did a great job in every possible way. Words cannot express how grateful I am to her for managing such a difficult transaction." ~ [...]

"Kat was very thorough, helpful, and a real pleasure to work with. She made the whole experience a lot smoother and less stressful. We truly enjoyed working with her."

"After a negative experience with another local relator, a friend who bought her home with Robbie recommended Robbie to us and we are so glad we followed her advice! Robbie was very knowledgeable, attentive to details, and guided us through every step. He has a keen eye for spotting potential issues with homes and he has a wealth of knowledge about the market, home construction, and the offer and loan process. He is easy going and has a professional, friendly personality. As first time home buyers, no question we asked was ever "dumb" and he willingly explained information without [...]

"In an effort to be more financially stable and independent, I came to you (Chris Tuten) to help me reach my goals. I knew the chances were not high given my time frame and budget but you gave me faith and had faith yourself that it could be done. You have been so instrumental in making this happen. I appreciate your faith, perseverance, availability and for always keeping me informed and updated. I have felt safe throughout the entire process of unknowns. I don't know how to thank you enough- especially when on top of all that you dropped what you were doing on a Sunday to help me [...]

"Luiz was great from start to finish! Luiz was there for us every step of the process. First he assisted us in selling our home of twenty years. Then he helped us locate just what we were looking to purchase and explained the steps of negotiation and closing so well we were confident we had reached a great deal! We will recommend his services to anyone we know looking for a home, or looking to sell!" ~ Tag G.

"Sean was amazing! We've already recommended him to several of our friends. He was always available to answer questions and thoroughly explained every step of the process. He rules." ~Natalie

"Luiz Leonetti was helpful and professional during the whole process. We're truly satisfied!" ~ Fabiana R.

"We love Steve Heiselman! He helped us purchase our "dream home" & then helped us sell our previous home quicker than we had expected. Recommend him highly."

"Leah helped enormously with professional advice on the local market and was able to provide recommendations on contractors for inspections and some repairs that the property requires. She was flexib le on meeting us on short notice to show properties as well as accommodating evening hours and working weekend days on putting together offers. I look forward to working with her again!"

"I had the pleasure of working with Aviva looking for an investment property in Asheville. She was awesome to work with. She is sharp, amusing, hard-working, knowledgeable, shows great attention to detail and is an outstanding negotiator. She has my highest recommendation." ~ JA

" Leah's awesome! My wife and I definitely lucked out! Leah was the gift. The house we bought was just a constellation prize."

"Sue was professional and fun. She helped us find what we wanted in a home and was great at negotiating for what we wanted. She also helped us understand the ins and outs of buying a home." ~ Melissa R.

"Thank you for the call and explanation on how to find the property and rough idea of the boundaries! Clients liked the area, but not the shared driveway. They put it on their top 5 for properties we've shown them. You're the only agent in the past 6 months who has stated they walked the land they were listing and could tell me about their lot/land."
~ Chris Butler
Keller Williams Professionals

"Working with Lorraine has been such a pleasant experience. We bought our first house in 2014 and Lorraine walked is through everything, she answered all of our questions - no matter how bizarre. She would always respond in a timely manner and would go above and beyond to do anything she could to help. When our family expanded this year we needed a larger place and we did not hesitate to call Lorraine. We were able to sell our house and purchase our dream home. Lorraine worked with our time crunch and was able to get us an amazing deal. I highly recommend Lorraine [...]

"Chris Tuten was amazing- both in the sale of our old house and the purchase of a new house. He dealt with every challenge with patience, grace, and humor which was a great help to us during a time when stress levels were overwhelming. We highly recommend him to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, friendly agent who puts your needs first." ~ Rae G.

"Justin Purnell was very attentive to my needs. He made sure all my questions were answered. If I wasn't satisfied with something...he did all that was in his power to make me at ease. He was wonderful to work with!" ~ Eunice R.

"Jody gave us incredible attention and care. He was 100% committed to making our home transition happen in the best possible way!"

~ Daniel & Marin

"Justin was knowledgeable, thorough and energetic. It was a great experience, both, buying our new house AND selling the old. Thanks Justin!" ~Jacob

"Beverly is extremely friendly, kind, and professional. She shared intimate and extensive knowledge of the Asheville area. After describing what I was looking for, Beverly found the perfect condo for me in Biltmore Park. I can't think of more satisfying experience with a realtor!" ~ Will P.

"Hilary was always available to show us homes and to answer any questions we had. She was very patient with us in our search until we were able to find the perfect home! She went above and beyond with her knowledge and professionalism. Thanks for everything!"

"We love Jody! :) He is an excellent agent and all around great human being." ~Starla and Aaron

"Lorraine is an absolute treasure. My husband and I first contacted her about finding us a home to retire to in Asheville about 8 months prior to our move. We didn't know what part of town we wanted to live in or what type of home we wanted to buy. At that time we truly were "just looking", but she treated us like the most important clients she ever had. Lorraine was a patient friend, adviser, and occasional marriage counselor. Over time she nudged, suggested and calmly redirected us to a happier ending than we ever hoped for. We closed on our new home a few days [...]

"Lorraine is that rare person willing to go the extra mile when it means helping a client--even if that mile turns into ten miles, or more. She listened attentively to our requirements for a new house, both the geographic part and the features part, and brought us only the very best available properties that met those requirements. She also provided cogent advice about current home values, and guided us through a protracted negotiation over price. As someone unfamiliar with local real estate law, we depended on her to explain the law's peculiarities and how we might use these to [...]

"Jody was amazing. He went above and beyond to ensure both our transactions went through. Jody is incredibly knowledgable, efficient and he cares." ~Emily and Ryan

"Kat was very thorough, helpful and a real pleasure to work with. She made the whole experience a lot smoother and less stressful. We truly enjoyed working with her."

"Gretchen was wonderful to work with! I was so lucky to work with her as she really listened to what was important to me and moved quickly when it mattered most, landing me in the house that fits me perfectly after only 2 days on the market. I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell because she really knows the market as well as the industry." ~ Shannon C.

"Andy was an invaluable resource during our home buying experience and made sure we were informed during every step of the way. He served as a great negotiator on our behalf, made sure all of our paperwork was complete and on schedule, and was always quick to respond to any questions we had. He was also great to just discuss our needs and how individual properties could or could not meet them. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to make a home purchase in the Asheville Area! Very happy with his responsiveness, willingness to discuss issues, and flexibility to meet my needs. Andy [...]

"Beth is the best of the best. From the get-go, she intuitively knew where I felt comfortable in Asheville. She stuck by me and found [...]